Onward Search and our Chicago staffing team were excited to attend the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in Chicago this month because the attendees were many and the news was good!
If you’re not familiar with the IRCE, it’s the world’s largest e-retailing show, attended by representatives from the retail, catalog, manufacturing and customer service industries. These are the forces that drive Internet retailing and make it possible for people like you and me to enjoy an ever evolving e-marketplace and shop online with ease.
We were looking forward to this event because it focused on how e-retailers need to reinvest and reinvent their online retail businesses in the wake of the recession. After speaking to a number of multichannel organizations, service providers and agencies alike, we were not disappointed by the news.
The most prevailing attitude of the event can be summed with in one word: Optimism. Our very own Thomas Hull, VP of Executive Search, attended and got to experience the positive consensus from these industry representatives first hand: “They have been trending towards an uptick in revenue, which is causing companies to reinvest in their business by adding headcount, upgrading their technology, or establishing Online Marketing initiatives such as Social Media or Mobile Marketing.” As consumer confidence continues to improve, companies are reinvesting in their online marketing operations to remain competitive and opportunistically gain market share.
This translates into great things for both online shoppers and those working in the industry. E-commerce has grown by 10% over the last 18 months and is becoming the preferred way to shop for an increasing number of consumers. As more companies recognize this value, join the e-retailing scene, and pay closer attention to their customer’s preferences, they’ll need talented professionals (like you!) to improve their online offerings. That includes adding features like user generated content, shopping reviews, expanded product/service offerings, video branding and mobile commerce options.
This year’s IRCE was a great success and we were happy to join in on the conversation with everyone. If you’re interested in learning more about the event, check out the IRCE site here. If you’re looking for an opportunity to work in this expanding industry, check our Featured Jobs for the latest openings.
